Search Results for 'EirGrid'

The public should be consulted on major capital expenditures, such as the €3.2 billion investment by EirGrid in a number of infrastructural projects.

Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Michelle Mulherin, has this week highlighted the need for a study to be carried out to determine the pros and cons of locating power lines above and below ground, so that the public is fully informed in an open and transparent manner. Deputy Mulherin was speaking following the appearance by Eirgrid at the recent Joint Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee.

Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary said that people in Mayo are feeling “harassed” by the Gridwest project team. The Ballina based Dáil deputy was speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday where he outlined a number of concerns about the proposed Eirgrid project nationally and at home. In his speech, he said: “In my own area, Eirgrid and their agents have been calling to landowners in relation to the Gridwest project. This seems innocuous enough however they are doing this in spite of being asked not to, in spite of signage on properties telling them not to enter, and they are making multiple phone calls to land and property owners. A number of people have spoken to me of feeling ‘harassed’ by the Gridwest project team. This is not what one expects during a consultation process, and this is why we feel the Government need to proceed without delay to establish the independent review.”

Next Monday’s meeting of Mayo County Council will see a number of different motions come before the councillors in relation to different strands of energy issues in the county including the Eirgrid project. Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne has one motion calling “that Mayo County Council invite Dr David Connolly, who is a renewable energy expert and native of Ballyhaunis, to give a presentation to the members of Mayo County Council so we might learn from the experience of the windy western counties of Denmark, and their efforts to achieve a situation where 100% of their energy requirement is supplied by renewable energy and where renewable energy is the largest employer. Dr. David Connolly is now assistant professor in Aalborg University, Denmark.”

An information event for all concerned residents and landowners in Knockmore and Foxford, who oppose Eirgrid's intended overground line and pylons, will take place in Knockmore Community Centre, on Monday November 25 at 8.30pm.

The hot-button issue of the proposed Grid West 400kV power line development has continued to evolve this week. At Monday’s Mayo County Council meeting, the elected members took the unusual step of adjourning the standing orders of the meeting to let one of the affected members of the community address the meeting in the middle of a debate.

Fianna Fáil councillor Jimmy Maloney has called for the numerous community groups who have concerns about the potential Eirgrid project in the county to be provided with funding and can engage the services of a specialist independent consultant so they can be represented and their concerns be put across by an appropriate professional. Cllr Maloney said this week, “I attended the special county council meeting and listened with interest to the presentation given by Eirgrid. I then weighed this up against the numerous calls I had received from the public over the past number of weeks relating to genuine public concern over the Eirgrid proposal. As I see it the only solution for fair and open discussion is to provide the public and community groups with funding to allow them the option of engaging the services of an independent consultant or consultants to represent them at local and national level- Specifically when this process reaches planning stage with An Bord Pleanála. This means that they can request answers to their concerns from the appropriate independent professionals. I further feel that the costs arising from this consultation should be paid for by Eirgrid.”

Mayo County Council will hold a special meeting on the morning of Monday, November 4 at 10am where the issue of the Eirgrid preferred route in north Mayo will be discussed. There has been widespread opposition to the proposed route of the €240 million 440KV high capacity overhead power line for the west of Ireland, since it was announced a number of weeks ago.

EirGrid has announced the emerging preferred route corridor for the Grid West project. The chosen 1km wide corridor, which will accommodate a new power line, starts north west of Moygownagh, runs west of Ballina, east of Foxford and Swinford, south of Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen before linking into the existing Flagford substation, near Carrick-on-Shannon.

EirGrid has held a series of open days across the west on potential route corridors for the Grid West project, including days in Bangor Erris, Ballina, Swinford and Claremorris.